abcnovels
Chapter 166 - 166: 165: The Heart of the Strong!
Chapter 166 - 166: 165: The Heart of the Strong!
Chapter 166 - 166: 165: The Heart of the Strong!
Translator: 549690339
When Du Gang arrived at the dormitory area, he was completely stunned.
In his imagination, the dormitory area consisted of rooms shared by eight or four people, typical of school dormitories.
But what stood before him was a standalone manor nestled against a mountain and beside a river, sprawling hundreds of thousands of square meters.
Du Gang coughed lightly and asked, “Is each dormitory…for one person?” Fan An nodded and said, “Yes, each Outer Sect disciple gets a single dormitory.”
“Du Gang, this dormitory in front of you is yours. Let’s go in first. I’ll explain the instructions to you, then I’ll take the rest of you to your own dormitories.” Soon, over a hundred people swarmed into the spacious dormitory.
When they reached a spacious lawn, Fan An stopped, turned around, and began to explain.
“Here, you’re not at home, no one will dote on you .
“As disciples of the company, you enjoy the best benefits and treatment. You don’t have to do missions, and your primary task every day is to cultivate . “However, there are some rules and red lines I need to make clear …”
“Firstly, the restricted areas. In your Light Computer, all areas you cannot visit are marked. Remember, never go into these areas …”
“Also, there are rules about jumping. As you live here longer, you might want to visit other places and might need to buy a spaceship. After buying it, you must follow the traffic rules, and jumps at each node are regulated. You can’t jump around at will .
“Next, let’s talk about perks ..
“For you, the biggest benefit is resources. At the Stellar Level, besides receiving one Stellar Crystal every hundred years, we also provide a yearly subsidy of 10,000 White Dragon Coins for daily expenses …”
“Besides these, the company will also open up some areas for you to access …”
“For example, some skills. Skills that would be considered as the heritage of top-tiered clans in the past could be bought here as long as you have enough points!”
“Points?” Du Gang asked in confusion.
Fan An chuckled, “Yes, we replaced your Light Computer to set up a points system .
“You disciples can choose some part-time tasks besides cultivating. Every task completed will reward a certain amount of points …”
“These points can be exchanged for some rare skills and valuable resources …”
“Besides this, there are many other features, all within your Light Computer.
You can take your time exploring …”
Once he had finished explaining everything related to life and cultivation, he announced, “Alright, you can find the rest of the information in your Light Computer. I’ll take everyone to their own dormitories … Any unclear points can be asked through the Light Computer …”
And so, Fan An left the manor with the group, leaving Du Gang alone.
“Du Gang, would you like me to introduce you to the facilities in the manor?” The Light Computer cheerfully projected itself into the room.
Du Gang shook his head, “No need, I prefer to focus on my cultivation. Any luxury is useless to me.”
“Help me find out how to sell my Source Crystals and Stellar Crystal. I want to sell them for some money and buy some skills …”
He only had two Domains, which were not even the strongest among ten thousand subsidiary galaxies. If he didn’t prepare early, he’d probably lose his chance to advance when the preliminary matches began!
“The Virtual Universe Company also has a recycling channel internally, offering a price 20% higher than the market price. However, it’s paid in points
Du Gang’s eyes brightened, “How many points can I exchange with my resources?”
The Light Computer laughed, “The points of the Virtual Universe Company are quite valuable, where one point equals ten thousand White Dragon Coins …”
“The Source Crystals and Stellar Crystal we have can be exchanged for 2.5 million points …”
2.5 million points were equivalent to 250 billion White Dragon coins, which was a considerable sum indeed!
“Open the points exchange bank with 2.5 million points, I want to see how much the skills I can use are worth
Soon, the Light Computer found and displayed the skills that were above the sixth rank, which could directly help in the comprehension of the Laws and Mysteries.
“Doomsday Spear Technique”, Rank Six, Price: 1 million points. “Phantom Spear Technique”, Rank Six, Price, 1 million points.
“Demon Spear”, Rank Six, Price, 1 million points.
He saw that the sixth-rank skills were 1 million points cheaper than the seventh -rank skills.
“What’s the difference?”
He had exchanged one of the seventh -rank skills using his qualification as an Outer Sect Disciple and Fan An’s quota and comprehended War Gold, but he couldn’t find any differences compared to the sixth rank.
By then, the Light Computer had already found the answer for him.
“Du Gang, according to the information online, all skills from rank six to rank eight allow one to comprehend the Laws and Mysteries, and there’s no difference …”
“The only difference is that the Laws and Mysteries comprehended from sixth-rank skills are not as good as those from the seventh- or eighth-rank skills …”
Du Gang realized, “I understand, it’s because different skills facilitate the comprehension of different Laws and Mysteries, resulting in different power levels, right!”
“So, the Laws and Mysteries comprehended from eighth-rank skills would eventually be stronger than those from seventh- and sixth-rank skills …”
Just when he was in the middle of his discovery, the Light Computer suddenly announced, “Du Gang, the Branch Department Chief Yan Xiong is calling!”
“What?”
Du Gang was startled. Such a high-ranking person was calling him, which made him promptly respond, “Connect it! ”
Shortly after, Yan Xiong’s projection showed up in the room.
“Du Gang, hello!”
Du Gang promptly greeted back, “Chief, hello!”
“Calling me ‘chief’ is too formal!”
Yan Xiong laughed out, “Just call me ‘Senior Brother.’ In our company, all disciples, if they have not been demoted to become ordinary employees, refer to each other as ‘brothers.”
Seeing his response, Du Gang nodded and said, “I understand, Senior Brother!”
“I heard that you’re only 119 this year?”
119 years old?
Du Gang was momentarily stunned before quickly realizing that he had been in a location ror a nunclrecl years receivmg an mnentance.
He nodded, “Yes!”
Yan Xiong praised, “Not bad! Our company hasn’t had anyone as young as you becoming an Outer Sect Disciple for a long time. I also heard that you were ranked within the top hundred in the preliminary competition?”
“Yes, Senior Brother, I’m ranked seventy-ninth!”
“Very good!”
Yan Xiong chuckled, “It’s rare to find a Junior Brother talented as you. If you ever encounter problems in your cultivation, you can reach out to me. I might be able to help…”
Du Gang, realizing that Yan Xiong valued his talents and was trying to get closer, delightedly said, “Senior Brother, I indeed have a puzzle that I want to discuss with someone…”
Yan Xiong laughed, “What a coincidence, let’s hear it!”
Du Gang began, “Senior Brother, I currently have two and a half million points and want to purchase cultivation methods, but I’m struggling whether to buy a Rank Six or a Seventh-Rank one. It’s really a tough decision…”
Yan Xiong chuckled, “So, you want to understand the difference between Rank
Six and Seventh-Rank cultivation methods?”
“Actually, whether it’s Rank Six, Seventh-Rank or even Eighth Rank, the final effect is the same. When practised to the extreme, all of them can help one comprehend the Mystery of certain Laws…”
“The reason they have different prices is because the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Rank of the same cultivation method share the same origin.”
“These Mysteries have no hierarchy in terms of superiority or inferiority. Their features determine whether some are good at attack, others defense, others assistance.”
“So, the Rank Six, Seventh, and Eighth -Rank of the same method all come from the same origin. For example, if the Mystery of a Rank Six method is an attack, then the Seventh and Eighth Rank of that will also be attack-oriented.”
“You’re just starting to cultivate, so you might not understand. Our Domains should not be cultivated recklessly.”
“For instance, one person may have two Domains, one with attack-oriented
Mystery, the other with defense. While another person has two attack-oriented Mysteries. In this case, the former’s strength will surely be weaker than the latter’s.”
Laying it all out, Yan Xiong then asked, “Junior Brother, what type of Mystery have you grasped?”
Du Gang said, “I’ve gained insight into the light and dark series of Dazzling Mystery and Secret Mystery, as well as the Gold Element’s Sharp Gold and War Gold Mysteries.”
Since he was planning to use these tactics in the upcoming matches, there was no point in concealing them. It was better to disclose them and heed the advice of the senior.
Yan Xiong frowned slightly, “Didn’t your guide tell you not to practice two sets of laws simultaneously?”
Du Gang shook his head, “He did, but I grasped the Mysteries too quickly. By the time the guide noticed, I already had quite a few of them…”
Yan Xiong nodded, asking, “So, are you planning to primarily cultivate the Gold Element now?”
“Yes!”
After receiving confirmation, Yan Xiong nodded, “It’s right for you to focus on the Gold Element!”
“Although Dazzling and Secret Mysteries both belong to the light and dark series, they pursue different directions. They can only be used separately and cannot be overlaid.”
“However, both Sharp Gold and War Gold in the Gold Element you currently have clearly pursue the attack power enhancement direction. Therefore, these two Mysteries will inevitably have additional effects when deploying offensive tactics.”
Without hesitation, Yan Xiong advised, “So, I suggest you use the two million points you currently have to exchange for two Rank Six attack-oriented Gold Element cultivation methods.”
“Later, when you’ve acquired sufficient funds, you can purchase the Eighth Rank follow-up methods of your current Sharp Gold and War Gold, including the Seventh- and Eighth-Rank methods of the other two.”
He paused, then continued, “Generally, the creators of these methods are at least Sector Lords, and the ones available in the exchange library are perfect methods. Hence, most of them carry related enhancements.”
“Thanks, Senior Brother!”
Du Gang’s gratitude was heartfelt. He had doubts about what follow-up cultivation methods to choose, but now he had no confusion. He would buy all attack-oriented methods and aim for a ninth Domain, all of attack type!
Once he achieved his goal, Yan Xiong chatted with Du Gang for a while, then ended the call.
On this side, the smart assistant had already re-screened suitable cultivation methods for Du Gang based on the earlier mentioned conditions. “Critical Strike Spear Technique” , Rank Six, Points Required: 1 Million.
“Peak Spear Technique”, Rank Six, Points: 1 Million.
In the end, after carefully reading the descriptions, Du Gang chose “Critical Strike Spear Technique” and “Peak Spear Technique”. Both of these techniques belonged to the Gold Element and were purely attack-oriented. Combined with the “Red Gold Spear Technique”, the power should be considerable.
After making his choices, Du Gang first bought “Critical Strike Spear Technique” and after receiving the transmission in his mind, he left the practice area in the mansion to start cultivating.
Then, he devoted three whole days and nights in cultivation.
Finally, on the fourth day,
“Pop!”
The air suddenly exploded, and a surge of Mystery spread out. Only then did Du Gang gradually open his eyes.
“Critical Strike Mystery is a success!”
With a delighted expression, he casually glanced at the time and was shocked.
“Damn, three days have passed. The final selection competition!”
At this moment, his smart assistant came out from the inner room and chuckled, “Don’t worry, the final selection competition will only start one month later!”
“Huh?”
Du Gang asked in confusion, “Why so slow? Didn’t the organizing committee seem eager when arranging the competition?”
The smart assistant laughed, “They were indeed in a hurry, but the issue is that the local competitions on White Dragon Mountain haven’t finished yet!”
“Not finished?”
Du Gang was dumbfounded, “We have completed both the preliminary and interim competition, but they haven’t finished yet?”
The smart assistant shook her head and smiled, “No, White Dragon Mountain is much larger than our ten thousand star systems combined. The population there is not to be underestimated. Two months is simply not enough for them. They need one more month to finish, and once they are done, the final selection stage will begin!” Du Gang hastily asked, “Are there any formidable figures on their side?”
“There are lots of them!”
The smart assistant quickly projected an image.
“At present, there are over a thousand individuals who have demonstrated mastery over four domains, and more than 20,000 people who have mastered three domains.”
“That many?! ”
Du Gang was shocked. It was significant since among their ten thousand star systems, only two geniuses possessing four domains had emerged from this final selection competition.
The smart assistant nodded, “The number is normal. Their lifespan is longer, resources are abundant, and their knowledge and other components far surpass those of affiliate star systems.”
“These thousand-plus individuals are all princely sons from top-tier families, or prized children from high-tier families. Not one of them comes from a humble background.”
After the momentary shock, Du Gang didn’t pay much attention to it.
Instead, he returned to the cultivation method exchange area, purchased the Rank Six cultivation method “Peak Spear Technique” as well, and began to receive the transmission.
Another round of relentless, three-day, and three-night training followed. He very smoothly comprehended the Sharp Mystery as well.
If others knew about his cultivation speed, they would undoubtedly be scared to death.
Normal people find it hardest not to buy cultivation methods but to comprehend Mysteries.
If merely purchasing a method could result in comprehending Mysteries, the children of large families would have hundreds, even thousands of domains by now.
In fact, martial arts techniques are just a means to comprehend the mysteries.
Many people, even if they possess martial arts techniques, may never comprehend the mysteries in their entire lives.
The mysteries of the Laws are indeed magical. Some people may quickly understand the mysteries of attack, while others may grasp the mysteries of defense just as quickly.
Everyone’s physical condition is different, and the circumstances of practicing different martial arts also vary.
For these prodigies, the hardest part is actually transitioning from nothing to something, the stage of comprehending the mysteries of the Laws.
Often, they could be stuck at this stage for hundreds or thousands of years. Even someone who has successfully become a stellar-level disciple at the age of one thousand may not have understood a mystery by the age of ten thousand. It’s all possible.
Even the most gifted people need to spend several decades to possibly cultivate a martial art technique to the level of comprehending its mystery.
It’s absolutely unique for someone like Du Gang to get martial arts techniques and cultivate the mysteries within three days!
If this were to get out, it would probably cause a huge uproar!
Just as Du Gang was preparing to practice, Blah suddenly said, “Du Gang, the Milky Way Galaxy hometown group you joined earlier has been calling for you all along …” “What’s the matter?” “They were beaten up!”
“They were beaten up?”
Du Gang was puzzled: “Didn’t Fan An say that we’re not allowed to arbitrarily fight here?”
No, they were beaten on the arena!”
He knew this. If they really wanted to fight, they could go to the arena. Blah said: “Not only were they beaten, some even lost some Source Crystals!” “What exactly happened?” Du Gang furrowed his brows.
“The cause of it all was a conflict between people from the star system where
Xu Tian resides and Zhang Bols group …”
“Those people said Xu Tian was stronger than you, while Zhang Bo’s group said you were stronger than them. Thus the two groups started fighting!”
“Is it that simple?!”
Du Gang frowned: “They’re all grown-ups. How could they be so easily provoked?”
This made no sense. To be frank, he had little acquaintance with these people from the Milky Way Galaxy. In fact, they were quite antagonistic towards him before.
He didn’t believe, after changing places and having only a few days passed, would these people uphold his honor and do such a thing.
After thinking for a bit, Du Gang asked, “Are you able to check their account situation?”
Blah nodded, “Yes, but you must be close to them. I need to be close enough to invade their light computer’s intelligence
“I see!”
Du Gang nodded and walked outside, while opening the communicator and sending a message in the Milky Way Galaxy hometown group.
“What happened?”
As soon as this message was sent out, a flurry of information appeared immediately.
“Du Gang, you’re finally here!”
“Du Gang, you have to stand up for us!”
“Yes, Du Gang, something big has happened, our people have been beaten…”
Looking at all these messages, Du Gang was even more perplexed. Since when did he have such a good relationship with these people? Moreover, when did these people start looking up to him?!
“Where are you guys?
“Arena No. 325233!”
“Arena No. 325233!”
“Arena No. 325233!”
Looking at the long string of messages below, Du Gang became more and more shocked.
After contemplating for a while, he replied, “Wait for me, I will be there soon!” Soon, guided by Bala, he arrived at the target arena area.
Here, over three hundred disciples had gathered, all from the outer sect.
Apart from the more than a hundred people from the Milky Way Galaxy, there were also more than two hundred from the star system where Xu Tian belonged.
He swept his gaze over the crowd and indeed found a familiar face, Xu Tian.
Seeing him coming, the people from the Milky Way Galaxy, represented by Zhang Bo, approached first.
“Du Gang, you’re finally here. These guys were too arrogant, they kept saying you used underhanded tactics and are not fit to be above Xu Tian…”
“Yes, Du Gang, the people from our side saw it, and could only speak a few words. Then they became extremely aggressive, and then they stepped onto the arena and fought…”
Du Gang noticed that while these Milky Way Galaxy folks were speaking, the people on the other side were mostly just casually shouting some taunts without really trying to interrupt them.
Looking at Xu Tian who was standing with his arms crossed across from him, he asked loudly, “Xu Tian, what’s your point?”
Xu Tian just smiled, “Exactly this.”
At this moment, Blah’s voice reached his ear.
“Du Gang, I found out. On scene, all over three hundred people, including Xu
Tian, received additional White Dragon Coins transferred from the White
Dragon Mountain… ”
“The source of the account is a guy named Bai Xiaosheng. He’s also a participant, but from the White Dragon Mountain side. Fourth Domain,
Ninth-Rank Stellar Level, the crown prince of the top family, the Bai Family… ”
So, were these people bought by this Bai Xiaosheng?
Was he trying to test my strength?!
Du Gang realized, he was still being targeted by these natives.
After all, during the initial period of the preliminary selection, he had had a period of absolute dominance.
Do these guys suspect that I’m hiding my skills or what’s their thinking?
Du Gang swiftly activated his Secret Domain, enveloping his surroundings, and spoke to Blah, “Get me in touch with that Bai Xiaosheng!”
“Huh?”
Blah was stunned for a moment, “Just like that?”
However, she still managed to make the connection.
Suddenly, Bai Xiaosheng’s projection appeared before everyone’s eyes.
In an instant, the more than three hundred people who were originally making a commotion fell silent.
“Hmm?”
Bai Xiaosheng grunted after answering the phone.
Du Gang laughed, “Bai Xiaosheng, what’s your motive for paying so many people to stage this drama?”
Bai Xiaosheng stayed quiet for two seconds, realising that his ploy had been seen through.
He chuckled lightly, “Nothing much, just wanted to see how strong you are. I’m Bai Xiaosheng, a freelance intelligence dealer. Since you’ve found me out, let’s leave it at that…” “Why let it be?”
“Huh?”
Bai Xiaosheng was taken aback upon hearing Du Gang’s words.
Du Gang said casually, “Don’t you want to buy information about my strength?
You can pay me, fight against me, experience my strength firsthand!”
Bai Xiaosheng frowned, “Are you serious?”
“Of course, but it depends on how much you are willing to pay. If the price is right, it’s certainly feasible!”
Du Gang had no objections to monetizing his skills. He knew they would be revealed sooner or later, so he might as well profit from it!
Besides, there was still almost a month before the competition. By then, his strength would have changed again, so he wasn’t worried at all!
Bai Xiaosheng laughed and said, “How about one hundred million White Dragon Coins? This price is even higher than what I’m offering others combined…”
This comment sent a chill through all present, but no one dared to respond.
They wanted to get angry, but didn’t dare to. After all, Bai Xiaosheng was the son of a local top-tier force, and beyond their league.
Du Gang shook his head, “Do you know how many Source Crystals and Stellar
Crystals I brought back from the Milky Way Galaxy?” Bai Xiaosheng pondered for two seconds then continued, “One billion?”
“I’ve just exchanged for two Rank Six techniques!”
“Ten billion. If it’s higher than that, I won’t do the deal…”
Ten billion, the equivalent of one million points—enough for him to exchange for another Rank Six technique!
Bai Xiaosheng laughed, “Tell me when you’re free, and we can have a fight!” Du Gang replied straightforwardly, “No need to fuss, let’s do it now!”
“Great!”
Bai Xiaosheng laughed, “I’ll send you the address, you come over!”
After that, he hung up the phone.
Du Gang turned to Zhang Bo and the others and asked, “Did you get me into a fight?”
Zhang Bo and the others looked embarrassed and lowered their heads or turned their faces away, not daring to meet his gaze.
Inciting Du Gang to fight with Xu Tian wasn’t that serious for them, especially since Bai Xiaosheng had bribed them.
Moreover, Bai Xiaosheng was the son of a local top-tier force, so they all agreed to the plan out of fear.
But now, Du Gang had seen through them!
The external disciples, like Xu Tian and the other two hundred, stayed quiet in light of this situation, quickly excusing themselves from the scene.
Du Gang glanced at those from the Milky Way Galaxy and said casually, “You might see this as a small matter, but from another perspective, you’ve betrayed me. However, I don’t see our relationship as important…”
“Since you no longer consider me a friend, there’s no need for this…”
Before he could finish, Zhang Bo interrupted him, ‘Who wants to be friends with you? Du Gang, don’t overestimate yourself. If it wasn’t for Bai Xiaosheng paying, do you think we would bother playing along with your charade?”
As soon as this was said, those who felt guilty started agreeing, “That’s right, who wants to be friends with you? You are just a guy at the second-tier domain…”
Du Gang smirked, and in full view of everyone, he left the group chat for the Galaxy team. He turned around and said indifferently, “Remember what you said and what you did. Don’t try to involve me in the future…” With that, he left straight away.
He and these people were not cut from the same cloth.
His goals, his dreams, his future were a world away, at a higher level.
Factionalism and fitting in were meaningless to him.
All he wanted was to become stronger, to someday reach the Seventh or even the Eighth Rank, and then to guide Earth to safety.
He continued to strive for higher realms, to uncover the mystery of the Ancient God’s secret, and to avenge the Ancient God…
Watching Du Gang’s retreating figure, several people felt as if they had missed something.
Or rather, most of them felt as if they had missed an opportunity to connect with Du Gang.
“Oh, so his talent is a little better. So what?”
Zhang Bo scoffed, “In history, how many talented people were stuck at the Stellar Level, unable to break through?! And him? I doubt he could even reach the Cosmic Level…”
Although he also felt some regret, he still believed that Du Gang was just an ordinary genius like them and would eventually become someone like Fan An.
Unlike Du Gang who aspired to compete with all kinds of geniuses, Zhang Bo and the others had completely lost hope after learning about the number of geniuses in various domains, including those from White Dragon Mountain, thinking they were just ordinary beings in the world.
They didn’t know that in mid-air, Yan Xiong was invisibly standing above them, looking down at Zhang Bo and the others with a slight shake of his head.
These people had lost the heart of a strong man!
The company arranged things this way to test and cultivate their willpower.
People from these small places are most likely to be fiercely driven, but also most likely to lose hope easily.
If they can hang in there, they will become elites like Yan Xiong; if they can’t handle the pressure, they will blend into the crowd and live ordinary lives like the rest of the employees.
Yan Xiong, however, regarded Du Gang with admiration.
He was steadfast in his beliefs, balanced in his confidence, and fearless in his endeavors!
“This guy has the heart of a fighter, doesn’t resist anything that enhances his strength, and doesn’t fear revealing his power…”
“He has talent, faith, goals, and a strong work ethic.. His future is immeasurable!”